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Frequently Asked Questions

ORDERS + SHIPPING

All in-stock orders are processed by our small team within 3-5 business days of your order date. While your order may be processed faster than this, please keep this timeline in mind. When your order is ready for shipment, you'll receive an email with an estimated delivery date and package tracking code. If your order includes a custom or pre-order product, the whole order will be held until all items are ready for shipment. All custom items take an average of 3-5 weeks to produce. If your order includes in-stock and custom items, the entire order will be held until all items can ship together.

All receipts are sent by email, we do not include printed order information or invoices in our packages, unless it is sent internationally*. All orders are packaged in branded, heavy-duty cardboard boxes. All boxes, paper packing tape, inserts and fill material are all now 100% recyclable (including the stickers and tape!) with the exception of the outer plastic mailing label sleeve (please remove the plastic pouch before recycling the box). *International orders will include a printed commercial invoice or digital invoice included with the mailing label, depending on individual requirements by country.

Expedited shipping refers to the transit time AFTER it leaves our studio. Expedited shipping will not shorten the average processing time of 3-5 days before your order ships. If you have any concerns about when your order might arrive, please email us prior to purchase, and we can give you an up-to-date estimate on processing times/when your order will ship.

Yes! We ship worldwide with UPS and DHL, both services include customs service and tracking. In some regions we offer limited USPS service, which does not include customs service or tracking. You can get an exact shipping estimate on any product by following these steps: add product(s) to your cart, then click on the cart icon and enter your shipping address. This will allow you to preview the shipping rate for each shipping method available in your area.

If you live outside the US and are considering ordering multiple items, email us and let us know the products you'd like to order and we'll send you an estimate for the lowest shipping rate available. Sometimes we're able to help you get a lower rate by packaging multiple items together in a single box, rather than multiple big boxes. If you’re ordering just one item, the shipping rates provided at checkout will be the cheapest available.

Absolutely not. Uline is a racist, sexist and evil hate group. You can learn more about our boycott here, and get great alternatives and additional information here.

Our products are sold primarily through our online store however Catalog Cards are now available at many retailers across the US- check the full list here.

CUSTOMS

Customers outside the US may be subject to import taxes, customs duties, and other fees upon the shipment's arrival in your country. These fees are set by the destination country. These charges must be paid by the recipient. Contact your local customs office for further information.

No. We are required to follow US law without exceptions. All orders are automatically submitted with full USD value on customs forms and will include a digital or printed commercial invoice when required by law.

We are unable to advise or estimate specific customs fees, as customs policies are set by destination country. Policies vary by country and can change at any time. For additional information, read our complete shipping policy and contact your local customs office for current fee rates.

PRODUCTS

Each divider is about the same thickness of one gatefold album [1/4 of an inch ~ 6mm]. 6 panel sets will take the space of about 6 gatefolds or 1.5 inches of shelf space. All divider products have a shelf space measurement in each listing under ‘MEASUREMENTS’.

This question is really best answered in two parts:
1. Why use dividers at all? Our dividers will help you browse easily, find a specific album quickly, and help you refile records without a hassle or require any memory games to find the right spot. We believe a well-organized collection will be a frequently-used one, so with our dividers you'll spend more time enjoying your collection rather than searching through it. Having a visual organizing system will prevent lost records, and will also help prolong the life and value of your vinyl collection by reducing wear and tear. Instead of thumbing through your collection, you can go directly to the section you need. And one more benefit: and if you share your collection with friends and family, having a system for organizing will make it easier for everyone to put records back where they belong, so you’ll be less annoyed/stressed when sharing your amazing collection!

2. Why use wood dividers? Aside from being beautiful and durable, wood dividers won't create static, which is why wood dividers are a superior option to plastic or metal dividers. Beautiful wood dividers are just really inviting, and will encourage you and your family and friends to spend more time enjoying and exploring your collection.

The exact number of dividers you need may depend on a few factors: how many records you have, how many different genres you collect, how much storage space you have, how much organization you actually want, and how big your collection might grow in the next 5-10 years. You can mix and match many of our products so you can build the set of dividers you need. By no means absolute, here is a helpful guide:

• 25-100+ records 2-5 dividers
• 150-300+ records 6-11 dividers
• 500-1500+ records 11-26 dividers
• 2000-10,000+ records [at this size, we’d want to get specific with you to help you build a system that will work best for your collection!

Treat our wood products the same way you treat your vinyl records! Store products in a dry, moderate-temperature environment and handle with clean hands. Panels may be wiped clean of dust with a soft cloth. All wood is photosensitive and may change color over time depending on the lighting and UV conditions in your home. Even indirect, but bright natural light can impact wood color over time. Direct sunlight, harsh bright lighting may speed the color change of wood products in your home (and your records too). During shipping, extreme temperatures or abrupt changes in humidity may cause slight and temporary warping of wood panels. To remedy any warping, simply stack all your wood panels on top of one another, and weigh down with a stack of heavy books or other weight on top. Wood should return to a flat state overnight.

The design will be exactly as pictured, however you should expect slight variations in wood color, burn and grain. All of the wood is hand-selected for quality, however natural (and cool) variations may occur. Each piece of wood may have small unique visual differences. Depending on the sap content of the wood, there may be very slight variations in the burn color, and overall wood color may vary slightly, depending on the season the wood was harvested.

Our gold products are engraved then an additional gold-fill is hand-applied to the engraved lettering/design- producing a beautiful metallic gold finish. The gold we create has a subtle metallic shimmer, and is a bit darker in color than the standard engraving.  Here’s a blog post explaining all lettering options and here’s a quick photo comparison of all lettering options.

Yes, if you've had an accident or damaged a panel (perhaps caused by a teething puppy...true story) we can send you individual replacement panels as needed. Just send us an email!

PRICING + SALES

Typically we have an online sample sale 1-2 times a year, when we offer second quality, product experiments, samples and/or discontinued products for sale from 10-60% off. The best way to find out about our sales is to sign up for our email newsletter.

Free shipping is rarely ever truly free- the environmental impact of “free shipping” is pretty terrifying. For that reason, we do not offer free shipping as it does not align with our values as a business.

The short answer: Every product is designed, handcrafted and packaged by hand, by a tiny team of skilled workers. We design original, durable products, made with high quality materials. Also: lumber prices are at a historic high, with supply chain issues and increased demand!

The long answer: Our products are a labor of love, and we take great pride in creating a useful and durable handcrafted product. Our business operates on the principle that every element of our production should be responsibly considered and carefully sourced, so that we can create a high quality product for our clients. We practice environmentally safe production practices and purchase supplies and tools and services from locally owned Bay Area and California businesses whenever possible. When local isn't an option, we work with US-owned and operated small businesses. Working with local and/or small US businesses allows us to have complete control over every element of our products, and it helps support our community of local businesses and fellow makers.

GIFTS

Yes! We offer laser-cut wood gift certificates in any amount from $50 and up. The wood certificate is made from the same wood as all of our products, so the recipient will know exactly how our products look and feel like. Gift certificates are valid only in our online shop and do not expire. We also offer digital gift cards!

We do not gift wrap, however all of our products are gift-ready in a carefully packaged box. All invoices are emailed, no printed purchase or price information is included in our packages.

YES! If you'd like us to include a special message or gift note in the package, just let us know at checkout and we'll include a handwritten note on a cute letterpress notecard for no additional cost.

CUSTOM

We offer customizable dividers in a variety of sizes and styles for records, books and other small media. Check our custom product collection for availability and lead times. Average production lead time on custom products is 3-5 weeks. During extremely busy production periods (Mid-November through January) custom orders are not available.

Due to an absolutely wild umber market and staggeringly high lumber costs, we have suspended our 5% discount on custom orders of 12+ panels as of January 1, 2023.

Depending on the quantity ordered and our production queue, production time on custom orders is typically 3–5 weeks. During particularly busy periods (like the holidays), we suspend custom ordering. We’re always happy to be able to give an updated estimate of production times by email, and lead time is always provided at the time of ordering.

We currently offer 3 beautiful lettering options: Stencil (cut out), Futura (engraved) and Gold Futura (engraved with metallic gold lettering). If none of those options are to your liking, you are welcome to send us an email with a request for a custom order. For custom typefaces we have an order minimum of $300 and your typeface must meet our requirements for legibility and production (as well as our harder-to-define approval specs for aesthetics, etc).

Unless you own the KISS copyright, we cannot. For all logos or custom artwork, Koeppel Design assumes you have obtained the rights to reproduce any copyrighted or trademarked images, logos, or artwork you have provided to be reproduced, and accepts no legal responsibility for reproducing legally protected materials.

Yes! To speed up the design process, send us an email with the exact product you want, with an explanation of how you'd like to customize the set (ex: tabs on top, letters turned 90 degrees, etc). Quick customizations like this cost an additional $15-25 depending on the number of panels and take 3-5 weeks to produce after payment is received.

We're happy to work with you to make the custom wood panel set of your dreams. We make custom sets for CD, DVD, and 10-inch record collections, record cabinets, media storage and more. Just ask! If you have a piece of furniture that you'd like us to make custom dividers for, we can do that, too! Our products are compatible with many popular cabinets, shelving and vinyl storage furniture brands, including

We love working with labels and record shops interested in ordering larger quantities of custom panels. Custom design rates and file setup fees apply. We offer retailer discounts for larger orders. Contact us to start the conversation!

RETURNS

We accept returns of unused product in original packaging and original new condition within 14 days of delivery. Sale items and custom orders are not eligible for return or exchange. Please refer to our returns and exchanges policy for a full explanation of our return policy. During the holiday period of November 1 - January 15 our return/exchange period is extended from 14 days to 30 days from date of delivery.

Yes! For standard products, exchanges may be made within 14 days of delivery. All claims must be authorized by Koeppel Design by email prior to exchange. Custom products are not eligible for return or exchange. To be eligible for an exchange, your item must be unused and in the original packaging. Please refer to our returns and exchanges policy for additional information.

DESIGN + PRODUCTION

All our wood products are laser-cut and engraved by highly accurate laser cutting machines. Every other part of the pre-production and post-production process is done completely by hand. All of our wood products are hand-sanded to ensure a clean, smooth finish. Every product we produce goes through multiple rounds of inspection to ensure we're delivering the strongest, cleanest and most useful product we can.

All our wood products are made from an untreated and unsealed high-grade Birch multi-ply wood, which is carefully sourced and inspected for quality and consistency. We source the best quality Birch plywood with low/minimal mineral streaking, knots, patches and low glue content. This isn't low-grade hobbyist Baltic Birch commonly found at home improvement and hobby stores. All our wood dividers are 1/4” / 6 mm thick, and we do not use thinner inferior 1/8” / 3 mm plywood because it is prone to chipping and warping. We do not use medium-density fibreboard (MDF) engineered wood in any of our products.

This collection is made locally by a small team in San Francisco, California led by designer and founder, Kate Koeppel. Koeppel Design is woman-owned and opterated. All of our products and packaging are designed and manufactured by Koeppel Design in California. A few of our products are manufactured by small and/or local partners, always in the USA.

Laser cutting machines use a high-powered laser beam to cut and engrave a variety of materials. The laser is extremely precise, making clean cuts and/or etching by vaporizing material in its pathway. These machines are guided by computer-generated designs, which set the parameters for laser cutting. The process, although beautiful and very precise, can be time consuming depending on the complexity of the design and the material.

WHOLESALE

If you are a store owner or buyer interested in carrying Catalog Cards, please use our wholesale inquiry form to introduce yourself and be added to our retailer consideration list. We carefully select our retail partners, giving preference to brick and mortar shops.

Our divider wholesale line is currently paused due to ongoing supply chain issues and the high cost of lumber (updated January 2023). If you'd like to be added to our divider waitlist anyway, please send us a message!